A Pain So Deep
by Pinto
Summary: When Elfangor and Ax's parents find out that both may be dead, how will they react? ~Modified~


A lone Andalite figure paced the bright green grass of the Andalite homeworld. Her stalk eyes snapped back and forth in an anxious expression. Her arms were in a crossed position, and she was twitching her tail in waiting anticipation.

She glanced occasionally at the scoop close by. She stopped pacing for a moment and slowly walked to the scoop and stepped in. Her eyes searched until they saw what they were looking for. She walked over to where a small hologram is hanging. Her eyes focased on the family in the holo. She brought her hand up to it and traces it's base.

In the hologram there are four Andalites. A perfect family. A young male Andalite, an almost full grown male Andalite and the parents.

Suddenly the female standing there stumbled back. She blinked back tears which were forming in her eyes. Her hearts ached at the sight of the family. She felt a lonliness beyond description. Suddenly a claustraphobic sensation set in. She needed to be in the open. She rushed out of the scoop and began to run. There was no location where she needed to be. She just felt a need to move, to run. A voice snapped her out of her pain.

< Forlay! Please come.> It was a familiar male voice.

She ran toward him. Perhaps he had brought good news. She felt a sudden burst of hope. She quickly reached him.

< Noorlin, please tell me of good news...> She stopped suddenly upon seeing her husband's expresssion. < W-what?> She stammers, afraid of the answer.

His faced was pained, and his discomfort was quite evident. < Forlay, my dear....I'm afraid..> He cut off, not sure if to finish.

Forlay grew frantic. < No! Do not say it! It cannot be true!> Her eyes grew wide.

He looked down. < Elfangor and Aximilli's ship was attacked. It went down near the planet earth. No surivors have been found yet.>

Forlay stepped back in shock. Her hearts skipped a beat. She stood unbelieving. < No....my babies....they can't be....> Tears streamed down her face.

Her husband stepped closer and wiped the tears off her face. He looked into her main eyes. < Forlay, please....they still could be alive.>

Forlay's eyes were hollow. < I never should have let them join the army. Aximilli was so young...it's my fault....I could have prevented...> She said, none of her words were making much sense.

Noorlin gave her a pitied expression. < It is not your fault. They died heros. And there was no way to stop them from joining the army. You know that Aximilli always wanted to be the warrior that Elfangor was. He would have wanted to die with his brother in battle. It's not your fault.> He repeated, trying to comfort himself as much as his wife.

Forlay closed her main eyes. Her tail drooped. < They were so young. They shouldn't have died. Not yet. Not now.> She turned away from her husband and turned to the scoop. Once inside she once again picked up the hologram of her family.

She gave a sad smile with her eyes. She turned to her husband. < We were so happy here. Now...now it will be so different. So hard.>

Then Noorlin did something extremely rare among Andalites. He hugged Forlay. At first she wanted to reel back. She was not accustomed to touching other Andalites. Then she embraced it, feeling the strength of her husband. She drew on that strength.

After moments of hugging she broke away. She looked at the hologram again. < We were a perfect family. We had everything.> She looked into her husband's eyes.

< Times will get better. Just keep in mind that time will heal all wounds.>

< I doubt that this wound will heal. Elfangor and Aximilli were so wonderful. They were all I ever wanted. But now...> She paused as hot tears stung her eyes. < Now I will never see them again.> The tears ran in streams down her face once again.

Noorlin looked at her. < There is still a chance that they may be alive. Do not give up all hope yet.> His wife looked at him in his main eyes.

< How? It's just not possible. Not logical.> She said, not wanting to get her hope up, only to have it shattered again.

< Sometimes logic is not the only way.> He simply stated. < There is a chance that they made it to the planet below them.> He scuffed his hoof against the ground.

< In that case my children are deserted on a planet which they know nothing about? Aliens on a faraway land? Is that any better?> She felt strong emotions churning inside her. She wanted so badly to hope that they were still alive. And yet, she knew that if she had hopes too high, they would likely be thrown down in dissapointment.

< With hope, there is always a chance.> Her husband said, seemingly reading her mind.

Suddenly Forlay needed to be hugged again. She threw herself into her husband's arms. < You are right. Hope will always have a chance.> She smiled.

***I know that Andalites don't supposedly cry, but I don't think I would have been able to write it without having her cry....oh well....****


End file.
